Golf Club Heads and Methods to Manufacture Golf Club Heads

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of golf clubs, golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. According to certain embodiments, an example golf club head comprises (i) a body portion made from a first material that includes a perimeter portion, (ii) a face portion coupled to the body portion, which is made from a second material that is less dense than the first material, and (iii) a support portion disposed in a cavity located in the backside of the golf club head. In certain embodiments, the support portion is formed as a secondary cavity in the backside of the golf club head.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority to, and incorporates by reference, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/941,352, filed Jun. 1, 2007.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to golf equipment, and more particularly, to golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads.

BACKGROUND

The moment of inertia (MOI) generated by a golf club head may affect the performance of an individual using the golf club head. For example, an increase in the MOI of the golf club head may increase resistance to twisting of the golf club head during off-center hits. As a result increasing the MOI of golf club heads may provide greater forgiveness during off-center hits.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example golf club head according to an embodiment of the methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture described herein.

FIG. 2 depicts a front view of the example golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a backside view of the example golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 depicts a front view of an example weight member associated with the example golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram that summarizes one manner in which the example golf club head of FIG. 1 may be manufactured.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES OF EMBODIMENTS

In general, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture associated with golf club heads are described herein. The methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.

In the examples of FIGS. 1-3, a golf club head 100 may include a body portion 110 and a face portion 120. For example, the golf club head 100 may be an iron-type club head, such as a 1-iron, 2-iron, 3-iron, 4-iron, 5-iron, 6-iron, 7-iron, 8-iron, 9-iron, sand wedge, lob wedge, pitching wedge, n-degree wedge (e.g., 44°, 48°, 52°, 56°, 60°, etc.), or any other suitable club head. The golf club head 100 may also include a front side 130 (e.g., FIG. 2), a backside 136 (e.g., FIG. 3), a heel end 140 and a toe end 146.

The body portion 110 may include a hosel portion 150, a notch portion 162, and a perimeter portion 155. The hosel portion 150 may receive one end of a shaft (not shown). The notch 152 may be located at or proximate to the heel end 140. The perimeter portion 155 may protrude rearwardly away from the front side 130 of the golf club head 100. The perimeter portion 155 may include a top rail 160 and a bottom rail (or sole) 165. The top rail 160 may extend from the heel end 140 to the toe end 145 along an upper portion of the body portion 110. In contrast, the bottom rail 165 may extend from the heel end 140 to the toe end 146 along a lower portion of the body portion 110. In one example, the body portion 110 may be manufactured from steel material or steel-based material by a casting process.

The face portion 120 may include a front portion 170 located on the front side 130 and a back portion 175 located on the back side 135. The front portion 170 may be used to impact a golf ball (not shown). In particular, the front portion 170 may extend from the heel end 140 to the toe end 145. The front portion 170 may include one or more grooves 180. In one example, the face portion 120 may be manufactured from a material that is generally less dense than the material used to manufacture the perimeter portion 156 of the golf club head 100. For example, the face portion 120 may be manufactured from titanium (Ti) material, titanium alloy material, or titanium-based material, either through a casting process, a forging process, or other suitable processes, whereas the body portion 110 may be manufactured from steel material or steel-based material.

By manufacturing the face portion 120 with a casting process, it may be easier to vary the shape and size of the face portion 120. The face portion 120, which is manufactured from a material that is generally less dense than the material used to manufacture the perimeter portion 166 of the golf club head 100, may exhibit any of various sizes and configurations. For example, the face portion 120 that is manufactured from such material may span the entire area of the face portion 120 which strikes a golf ball or, alternatively, it may span only a portion thereof. Still further, for example, the face portion 120 that is manufactured from such material may span the entire width (or thickness) of the face portion 120, such that the material continues through to the back portion 176 of the golf club. Alternatively, the face portion 120 that is manufactured from such material may be configured as a plate, which is coupled to the back portion 175 of the golf club, in which case the back portion 175 of the golf club may be manufactured from a material that is more dense than the plate, such as steel or steel-based materials. As described in further detail below, the face portion 120 may be coupled to the body portion 110 by a brazing process, a mechanical interlocking process, a chemical bonding process, other suitable welding or bonding processes, or a suitable combination thereof.

By using the materials mentioned above for the body portion 110 and the face portion 120, the performance of the golf club head 100 may be optimized. In particular, titanium material, titanium alloy material, or titanium-based material has a relatively high strength-to-weight ratio. The use of steel material or steel-based material for the body portion 110 may increase the MOI of the golf club head 100 because steel material or steel-based material may exhibit a relatively greater density than, for example, titanium material, titanium alloy material, or titanium-based material that may be used to manufacture the face portion 120. According to such embodiments, the body mass will exist at or proximate to the perimeter portion 1565 of the golf club head 100. An increase in the MOI of the golf club head 100 may increase resistance to twisting of the golf club head 100 during off-center hits. As a result, increasing the MOI of the golf club head 100 may provide greater forgiveness on off-center hits.

Turning to FIG. 3, the back portion 175 may include a first cavity 310, and a second cavity 320. The perimeter portion 155 of the body portion 110 may define the first cavity 310. In one example, the first cavity 310 may be within the perimeter portion 155. Instead of being a flat surface, the back portion 176 may also include a support portion 330. The support portion 330 may define the second cavity 320. In one example, the support portion 330 may be within the first cavity 310. Although the support portion 330 may comprise an integral part of the perimeter portion 155, in certain other embodiments, the support portion 330 may be separate from the perimeter portion 155. That is, in contrast to some golf club heads, the support portion 330 and the perimeter portion 155 may be configured to not share a common wall. The support portion 330 may dampen vibrations on the golf club head 100 and/or provide optimal sound and feel feedback in response to impacting a golf ball on the front portion 170.

Without the support portion 330, the face portion 120 may flex during impact. The support portion 330 may provide stability to the front and back portions 170 and 175. As a result, the support portion 330 may improve consistency in performance of the golf club head 100. By using a casting process to manufacture the face portion 120, the support portion 330 may vary in shape and/or size. Although the support portion 330 may have an elliptical shape as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 31 the support portion 330 may be other suitable shapes, such as a circular shape, a rectangular shape, a triangular shape, a “D” shape, any combination thereof, etc. While the secondary cavity 320 may be open as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3, the secondary cavity 320 may also be filled by a weight member (e.g., an insert or a custom tuning port (CTP) weight) as described in detail below. The methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture, however, are not limited in this regard.

Referring to FIG. 4, the second cavity 320 may include a first weight member 400. The first weight member 400 may dampen vibrations on the golf club head 100 after impact of a golf ball on the front portion 170. Further, the first weight member 400 may improve the feel and sound during impact of the golf ball. For example, the first weight member 400 may be made of a urethane material, a urethane-based material, an elastomer material, a thermoplastic material, other suitable types of material, or a combination thereof. To provide a particular swing weight, the first weight member 400 may vary in density from one club to another within a single set of clubs (and/or vary between sets of clubs). In one example, the first weight member 400 may be selected from a range of four grams to thirty grams, with the weight increasing in half-gram increments from four to thirty grams. Although the first weight member 400 may have an elliptical shape as depicted in FIG. 4, the first weight member 400 may be other suitable shapes, such as a circular shape, a rectangular shape, a triangular shape, a “D” shape, any combination thereof etc. Referring to FIG. 3, the face portion 120 may include a third cavity 330. The third cavity 330 may be located at or proximate to the toe end 145. In particular, the third cavity 330 may be located proximate to the top rail 160 of the perimeter portion 155.

The third cavity 330 may include a badge portion or a plate portion (not shown). The badge portion may include a design such as a logo and/or a trademark. Although the third cavity 330 may have a “D” shape as depicted in FIG. 3, the second weight member may be other suitable shapes such as a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a rectangular shape, a triangular shape, any combination thereof, etc.

Further, the body portion 110 may include a fourth cavity 340. The fourth cavity 340 may be located at or proximate to the toe end 145. In particular, the fourth cavity 340 may be located on the perimeter portion 155. The fourth cavity 340 may include a second weight member (not shown). For example, the second weight member may be made of tungsten material or tungsten-based material. The second weight member may increase the MOI of the golf club head 100 by increasing resistance to twisting of the golf club head 100 during off-center hits. As a result, increasing the MOI of the golf club head 100 may provide greater forgiveness on off-center hits. Although the fourth cavity may have an elliptical shape as depicted in FIG. 3, the second weight member (and its corresponding cavity 340) may be other suitable shapes, such as a circular shape, a rectangular shape, a triangular shape, a “D” shape, any combination thereof, etc.

While FIGS. 1-4 may depict an iron-type club head, the methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture described herein may be readily applicable to other suitable types of golf club heads. For example, the methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture described herein may be applicable to metal wood-type club heads, hybrid-type club heads, putter-type club heads, or other suitable types of golf club heads. The methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited this regard.

In the example of FIG. 5, a process 500 may begin with casting the body portion 110 (FIG. 1) to form the golf club head 100 (block 510). As noted above, the body portion 110 may be manufactured from steel or steel-based material. The process 500 may also cast the face portion 120 (block 620). For example, the face portion 120 may be made of titanium material, titanium alloy material, or titanium-based material.

The process 500 may also include forming the support portion 330 (FIG. 3) on the back portion 175 (block 530). By casting the face portion 120 from titanium material, titanium alloy material, or titanium-based material, the support portion 330 may vary in shape and/or size to dampen vibration and provide optimal sound and feel in response to impact on the front side 130 of the golf club head 100. In addition, the support portion 330 may provide stability to the face portion 120 to improve consistency in performance of the golf club head 100. The process 500 may couple the face portion 120 to the body portion 110 (block 540). For example, the body portion 110 and the face portion 120 may be coupled together by a brazing process, a mechanical interlocking process, a chemical bonding process, other suitable welding or bonding processes, or a suitable of combination thereof. The methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.

Although the process 500 may be described above with respect to an iron-type golf club head, such as the golf club head 100, the process 500 may be applicable to other types of golf club heads (e.g., metal wood-type golf club heads, hybrid-type golf club heads, wedge-type golf club heads, putter-type golf club heads, etc.). Further, while a particular order of actions is illustrated in FIG. 5, these actions may be performed in other temporal sequences. For example, two or more actions depicted in FIG. 5 may be performed sequentially, concurrently, or simultaneously.

To form a golf club with the golf club head 100, the hosel 150 may receive a first end of a shaft (not shown). The shaft and the hosel 150 may be secured to each other by an adhesive bonding process (e.g., epoxy) and/or other suitable bonding processes (e.g., mechanical bonding, soldering, welding, and/or brazing). To complete the golf club, a grip (not shown) may receive a second end of the shaft. The shaft and the grip may be secured to each other by an adhesive bonding process and/or other suitable bonding processes. The methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are not limited in this regard.

Although certain example methods, apparatus, and/or articles of manufacture have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this disclosure is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this disclosure covers all methods, apparatus, and/or articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents. 

1. A golf club head comprising: (a) a body portion made from a first material, wherein the body portion comprises a perimeter portion; (b) a face portion coupled to the body portion, wherein the face portion is made from a second material that is less dense than the first material; and (c) a support portion disposed in a first cavity located in a backside of the body portion, wherein the support portion forms a second cavity.
 2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises a steel material or a steel-based material.
 3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second material comprises a titanium material or a titanium-based material.
 4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the perimeter portion protrudes rearwardly away from the face portion to form the first cavity.
 5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the support portion is formed separate from the perimeter portion and is not integrally connected thereto.
 6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second cavity comprises a weight member disposed therein.
 7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the second cavity comprises a weight member disposed therein, wherein the weight member comprises a tungsten material or a tungsten-based material.
 8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a backside of the perimeter portion comprises a third cavity.
 9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the third cavity is located near a toe end of the golf club head.
 10. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the third cavity comprises a weight member disposed therein.
 11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the weight member comprises a tungsten material or a tungsten-based material.
 12. A golf club comprising a shaft that is disposed in and connected with a hosel, wherein the hosel is connected to or integrally formed with a golf club head, wherein the golf club head comprises: (a) a body portion made from a first material, wherein the body portion comprises a perimeter portion; (b) a face portion coupled to the body portion, wherein the face portion is made from a second material that is less dense than the first material; and (c) a support portion disposed in a first cavity located in a backside of the body portion) wherein the support portion forms a second cavity.
 13. The golf club of claim 12, wherein the first material comprises a steel material or a steel-based material.
 14. The golf club of claim 12, wherein the second material comprises a titanium material or a titanium-based material.
 15. The golf club of claim 12, wherein the perimeter portion protrudes rearwardly away from the face portion to form the first cavity.
 16. The golf club of claim 12, wherein the support portion is formed separate from the perimeter portion and is not integrally connected thereto.
 17. The golf club of claim 12, wherein the second cavity comprises a weight member disposed therein.
 18. The golf club of claim 12, wherein the second cavity comprises a weight member disposed therein, wherein the weight member comprises a tungsten material or a tungsten-based material.
 19. The golf club of claim 12, wherein a backside of the perimeter portion comprises a third cavity.
 20. The golf club of claim 19, wherein the third cavity is located near a toe end of the golf club head.
 21. The golf club of claim 19, wherein the third cavity comprises a weight member disposed therein.
 22. The golf club of claim 21, wherein the weight member comprises a tungsten material or a tungsten-based material.
 23. A method for manufacturing a golf club head, which comprises: (a) casting a body portion using a first material, wherein the body portion comprises (i) a perimeter portion that forms a first cavity located in a backside of the body portion and (ii) and a support portion that forms a second cavity disposed in the first cavity; (b) casting a face portion using a second material that is less dense than the first material; and (c) coupling the face portion to the body portion.
 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first material comprises a steel material or a steel-based material.
 25. The method of claim 23, wherein the second material comprises a titanium material or a titanium-based material.
 26. The method of claim 23, which comprises casting the support portion to be separate from the perimeter portion and not integrally connected thereto.
 27. The method of claim 23, which comprises disposing a weight member in the second cavity.
 28. The method of claim 23, which further comprises casting a backside of the perimeter portion to comprise a third cavity located near a toe end of the golf club head.
 29. The method of claim 28, which further comprises disposing a weight member in the third cavity. 